Oil-treating device.



- Ffs. WHITE & w.1. BARNHART.;

OIL TREATING DEVICE. v

APPLICATION FILED OCT-19. [915- I Patented Oct. 9; 1917.

for?

I l N x mm, QM n mm $1M I Q\ Q Rm, gm & Q @m FLOYD G. WHITE, LOSANGELES, AND WALTER J. BARNHART, 0]! MARIGOPA,

OIL-TREATING- DEVICE.

CALIFORNIA.

Patented ace. 9, 191' *2.

Application filed '0ctober19, 1915. Serial No. 56,772.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FLOYD G. WHITE and WALTER J. BARNHART, citizens ofthe" Los Angeles and Kern, respectively, State" of California, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in. Oil-Treating Devices, of whichthe following is a specification. This invention relates to devices fortreating oil; and particularly to a device'for treating oil emulsion forremoving water therefrom, although, as will be understood from thefollowing specification, our device is not limited to such use and maybe used for oil distillation.

Generally speaking, it is an object of our invention to provide anefiicient means for vaporizin constituents of, or liquids carried I by,oil an to separate'the vapors from the oil. And it is a particularobject to vaporize and separate Water from oil or oil emulsion. Duringsuch separation of water, there is also separated a certain amount ofthe more volatile constituents of the oilthat is, the oil may be toppedat the same time when the water is separated oil. The details ofconstruction and operation of our invention will be apparent fromthefollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which, for the purpose of this specification, we haveillustrated a preferred form of our invention, and in which drawingsFigure lis a longitudinal central vertical sectlon of our improveddevice, Fig. 2 is a cross section taken as indicated by line 22 on Fig.1, Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken-asv indicated by line 3-3 onFig. 1, Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken as indicated by line44 on Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic plan of a plant including ourdevice. y

In the drawings there is shown a suitable furnace inclosure 10 ofconvenient dimensions and proportions, built in the configurationillustrated. In the lower part of the, furnace inclosure there is afurnace chamber 11 over which is'suspended the heating pan 12. A draftspace 13 is left open at the rear end of the heating pan and also aspace 14 is leftopen abovetlieheating pan so as to form a draft passageleading from the furnace chamber 11 to the stack 15, at v the upperforward .part of the inclosure 10.

There are two coils of heating pipe 16 and vertical-baflies 30 ,and 31extend alternately,

chamber 32; that is,

17 arranged above and below the heating pan in the manner and positionshown. The inlet for oil is through the pipe 18 leading to one end ofthe upper coils 16; and the oil, having first traversed this upper coil,is then led through the connecting pipe 19 to the lower coil 17. Havingtraversed the lower coil 17 the oil is then led through connection 8 andvalve 9 to the pipes 20 which lead to the pipes 21 projectinginto thelower part of the rear end of pan 12. These pipes 21 are perforated ontheir under sides, as shown at 22, and are stopped at their ends, asshown at 23, so'that the oil is discharged from the pipes 21 downwardlyinto the lower part of one-end of the pan 12. The Valve 9 1s a pressure.valve; that is, it is a'valve of such construction that itwill open andallow the passage of oil from the coil 17 into the pan 12 only when acertain predetermined prelssure has been raised upon the oil in the colThe construction of the pan 12 is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.Longitudinally spaced from the top and bottom of the pan12, so as todivide the interior of the pan into a series of chambers 32 in which thegases and vapors given off from the oil 33 may rise to find outletthrough the individual dischar e ipes 34, of which there is one for eacof the chambers 32. These pipes 34 may either lead to a common dischargepipe 35 through which the gases and vapors are withdrawn, as indicatedin Fig. 5, or. there may be several discharge pipes 35*, 35, 35, etc.,through which different classes or qualities of vapors may be separatelywith drawn. The baflies 30 which extend from the top of the pan extendto points fairly close to the bottom of the pan; and those bafiiesnearest the front end of the pan extend closer to the'bottom of the panthan do" those baflies nearest the rear end of the'pan. The bafiieswhich extend from the biittom of the pan extend to a point about midwaybetween the top and bottom of the pan so that, to leave any chambertheliquid must pass through a trap; and this makes more certain theleavingof-the gases in the the gases which have once been given off are notliable to be car- .ried with the liquid into the next chamber.

the pan. The upper bafies being closer to the bottom at the dischargeend, the passage of the liquid thereunder is more restricted at that endand, as a result the flow of liquid on the bottom of the pan is fasterat the hotter forward end than at the cooler rear end. It will also benoted that the volume of the liquid decreases toward the forward end,due to the removal of the vapors, etc.

Any suitable source of heat may be employed in chamber 11; such asan oilburner 40. The oil to be treated is forced under pressure (either bypressure from a tank or pump) through the pipe 18 to the upper coil 16and istherein partially heated. The heat absorbed by the oil in theupper coil is heat that would be otherwise wasted; and thus weaccomplish a saving of heat. Thence the oil passes down to the lowercoil 17 where it is further heated to a maximum temperature. From thecoil 17 the heated oil passes to the pan 12 and flows forwardly throughthe pan, absorbing further heat from the combustion in chamber 11; andfurther vapors of water (and constituents of the oil) are driven 0%. 1twill be noted that the passage of the oil.

through the pan is necessarily circuitous and is necessarily along avertically undulating route, as indicated by the arrows in Fig; 1. Theupward travel of the oil in each of the chambers 32 materially aids inthe escape of the vaporsand gases, for this,

upward travel brings every part of the oil "to or near the surface sothat the vapors and gases may easily escape. Furthermore,

\ the agitation due to the circuitous travel of .the oil aids theliberation of the gases and vapors. The oil is heated under pressure inthe pipe coils, such pressure, depending upon the pressure for which the'valve9 is set. And the pressure for which the valve mediately generatedand passed out through 9 is set will depend upon the temperature towhich it is decided to raise the oil in the coils; the pressure heldupon the oil being preferably suliicient to prevent vaporization in thecoils at the temperature desired. When the pressure is relieved, by theoil passing into the pan 12, the vapors of water and of otherconstituents of the oil are imthe pipes 34:. During forward passage ofthe 'oil along the pan 12, the oil is further heated, and the additionalvapors aregiven off through the pipes 34; and in'this manner theremaining water is vaporized from the oil, so that the oil passingthrough the outlets 36 is entirely, or practically entirely, free of thewater which it formerly held. Thermometers may be placed at suitablepositions on the coils of the pipes, as indicated so that thetemperature of the oil may be taken at various points; as it enters intothe upper coll 16, and at its point of entry aaaaeea to thelower coil17, and at delivery from the lower coil 17 into the pan 12. 1n a typicalinstance, in a plant capable of handling about one hundred barrels perhour, handling oil emulsion carrying about ten per cent. water, the oilis made to enter the upper coil at a temperature of about one hundredthirty five degress Fahrenheit and is therein raised to a temperature ofabout one hundred ninety degrees Fahrenheit, at which temperature itenters the lower coil. During its passage through the lower coil it isheated to a temperature of about three hun dred eighty five degreesFahrenheit. The valve 9 is adjusted to hold a sufficient pressure toprevent vaporization under said tem- Upon passing the valve 9 theaccomplished by uniform heating conditions and uniformity of pressure inthe pan, does away very efi'ectively with any tendency to foam. 1f, inthe discharge and freeing of the vapors, the liquid foams and any liquidis carried ed with the vapors, such liquid may be separated out by anysuitable means. "We have shown a separation pipe 35 into which suchliquids may drop from the pipe 35; and pipe 35 may lead back to the oiltank 70 as shown in Fig. 5.

The gases and vapors passing ofi' through pipes 35 may be led to acondenser 60, illustrated in Fig. 5, and thence. to any suitable form ofseparator '61 from which the liquids may be led by pipe 62 and the gasesby pipe 63. The liquids will comprise certain oil constituents andwater, which may be afterward separated in any suitable manner. Thecooling agent for the condenser may be the original oil itself. This oilmay be supplied to a suitable pump 64 and thence be pumped through pipe65 to the condenser 60 and thence flow through pipe 18 to the upper coil16. The oil is thus heated, to approximately the temperaturehereinbefore stated, before entering the upper coil 16, and the heat ofthe vapors passing through the pipe 35 is retained within the system.

As hereinbefore indicated, the gases and vapors may either be taken ofiall together or the gases and vapors from difi'erent chambers 32 may bekept separate. Thus the rearmost chambers may discharge to the tionaldistillation may take place as the oil I moves forwardly into chamberswhere its temperature is increased.

There are several features of our invention that we may emphasize. Wemay note particularly the construction of the pan which allows andinduces .the operation herein 'setforth; and we may especially point tothe action induced by the valve 9; This valve keeps a certainpredetermined pressure uniformly on the oil in the heating chamber (thecoils of pipe) so as to prevent formation of vapor therein; andimmediately the heated oil has passed the valve and flowed into the panthe vapors are gen-, erated and pass off, with the result that the waterin the oil is practically entirely removed. The prevention of formationof gas or vapor in the pipes obviates any accumulation of gas in pocketsand thus prevents any hammering due to such accumulation. Further, theexcessive pressures heretofore required to force the oil through thepipes are eliminated. And the prevention of gas pockets also preventsburning of the pipes, as the pipes are kept uniformly full of liquid.

Having described a invention, we claim:

1. In an oil treating device, a furnace, a coil of pipes arrangedtherein, means to force preferred form of our I oil under pressurethrough the pipes to be heated therein, a heating pan in said furnaceinto which the end of the pi e coil discharges at one end, said panembod ying a closed receptacle having vertically 'longitudinally spacedbaffles therein extending alternately from the top and bottom of the panso that the oil flowing from end to end of the pan must follow aVertically undulating route, a pressure valve at the end of the pipecoil before discharge to the pan to maintain a. certain predeterminedpressure on the oil in the pipe coil, and means to conduct away thevapors arising from the oil in the pan.

2. In an oil treating device, a heating pan embodying an elongate closedreceptaclewith inlet and outlet at opposite ends, said receptaclebeinginteriorly subdivided into a plurality of chambers bylongitudinally spaced vertical baffles extending alternately .dividedinto a plurality of chambers by longitudinally spaced vertical bafilesextending alternately from the top and bottom of the receptacle thebafiles which extend from the top extending closer to the bottom at theoutlet end than at the inlet end, and the baflies which extend from thebottom extending about midway to the top, and vapor out lets one foreach of said chambers at the to of the pan.

4. Inan oil treating device, a furnace, a heating chamber therein, meansto force oil under pressure through the chamber to be heated therein,discharge valve means to hold a pressure on the oil in the chamber a panin the furnace into one end of which the oil discharges from thedischarge valve, said pan embodying a horizontal closed receptacledivided into a plurality .of compartments by from the top and bottom ofthe receptacle;

and means to conduct vapors away from each of the compartments of thepan.

* 5. In an oil treating device,,the combma;

Y tionof means to heat the oil under pressure,

a heating paninto which the heated oil is discharged and in which thepressure on the heated oil is relieved, said pan embodying a horizontalreceptacle with inlet and outlet at opposite ends, said receptacle beingmteriorly divided into a plurality of spaced baflies extendingalternately from the top and bottom of the receptacle, and vapor outletsone for. each of said compartments at the top of the pan.

In witness that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto subscribed ournames this 7th day of October, 1915. I I

. FLOYD G. WHITE. WALTER J. BARNHART. Witness:

ELWOOD H. BARKELEW. 1

